Red Heart yarn--rant & rave

[Trinket]

then one of the blues i had for it right in the middle of the skein it had a chunk of yellow fiber wrapped around it.

 

Aside from finding all those KNOTS (not tangles, but real knots) in my yarn, I've come across that very thing a lot more often than I think is proper...

 

I second the motion that we contact RH and tell them that we would like to see them step up the quality control!

[lindamry]

Hi!

I just went to the Coat's and Clark site (Red Heart's manufacturer) and found an announcement about dye lots: http://www.coatsandclark.com/Crafts/Crochet/Features/Red+Heart+Super+Saver.htm.

 

Here's the addresss and phone number to contact them:

 

Coats & Clark

Consumer Services

P.O. Box 12229

Greenville, SC 29612-0229

(800) 648-1479

 

Unfortunately, they say they are not set up to accept email.

 

Linda Y

[KellyA]

I have had to write to RH twice regarding two differnet colors=cape cod bleu and bright yellow

Issues included the "globbing" within the yarn, little knots with in the plys, and in the bright yellow were scraps of white fuzz through out the skeins

They did replace those skeins I complained about - however the replacements had the same flaws. I have switched to Caron Pounders, Bernat Berella 44, and recently Hobby Lobby's "I love this yarn"

Sorry RH your prices aren't that great when you have to toss out the flaws - not to mention all of the ends you have to weave in

[NanaJ]

Yes I have noticed the same dye lot NOT the same color. I have used quite abit of TLC lately. Joanns has it on sale quite a bit and it seems to be nicer than RH right now.

[BrendaSt]

Coats & Clark announced a couple of years ago that the supplier they used for many years for their acrylic fibers filed bankruptcy. Apparently, the fibers we all knew and loved are no longer being manufactured, and Coats was forced to seek out another supplier. (Note: Several major fiber suppliers filed bankruptcy about the same time, so their choices became limited.)

 

If someone knows more about this than I do, please correct me if I am wrong.

[RoseRed]

i'm getting tired of all the different colors being different thicknesses.

[chrissyf]

it is funny that this came up. When I made the recent music afghan in squares I had to get a second skein of white just plain white and to my dismay they were different. I checked and double checked when i bought to make sure that both were the same and they weren't. I will still use Red Heart but I will be more careful next time.

[champygirl]

I agree, I been noticing the rougher texture and the thinning and thickness changing all in one skein, but what irritates me the most is all the knots.... I do like the colors of the variegated yarn in RH, but might try another brand sometime.

[RoseRed]

has anyone else noticed that the varigated colors feel llike steel wool?

[cgd]

I recently worked with RH Strata, and you're right, it was like a brillo pad.

[Amaranthe]

I've found red heart to be pretty rough too. Although I have a crochet blanket made out if it that wasn't so rough after it was washed. I've switched to Caron one pounders. Much, much softer for a good price.

 

The rh skeins also have less than they used to. Only an ounce less, but still.

[Robyn]

I've been using RH for 13 years and I'm sorely disappointed with the quality as of late. I'm making two afghans for my fiance's nephew and neice and the yarn is scratchy and feels horrible. I'm not sure that I want to continue either of these, but they're already promised so I don't have much other choice.

 

Just yesterday, with a skein I found a knot that nearly ruined the rest of the skein.

[DreamsOfYarn]

I am in the middle of making a round ripple using RHSS and I am having nothing but trouble with it. The yarn is scratchy, thin in some places and thick in others. It is hard on my hands, too. I have used plenty of RHSS and have never had this many problems with it. I have to finish this one, since it is an order for a lady for work and this is the yarn she specified. The variegated is real rough, and that is what I prefer to work with, since the combinations of colors make the possibilities almost endless.

 

I am also making a 2 strander but with that one, I am using on strand of RHSS and 1 strand of Hobby Lobby's 'I Love This Yarn'. Combining the 2 different types of yarn makes it easier to work with. This may be the only way I will use RHSS until they improve the quality.

[Misa]

First off, I love RH products and will continue using them. But that being said, I too have noticed some "deficiencies" in the product of late I've only had the thick/thin thing happen a couple of times but this tying the skeins in knots bugs me. One knot per skein I can live with but I just finished using one with FIVE knots in it. That's unacceptable :grump

 

I do agree that washing out the sizing makes the finished product nice and soft. I always do this. To keep it from looking washed I actually lightly steam press a ghan after washing and it pops right back

 

Now, Tiga's suggestion of washing the skeins in a pantyhose first is brilliant! I'm gonna try that next project!! Thanks for the tip

[RoseRed]

Does anyone else think we should email RH a link to this thread?

[champygirl]

I agree with you Rose Red, it's definetly a good idea to mail a link. (If its not breaking any rules)

[mythunderbird]

[quote name='chichiwawa;725046I have been loyal to red heart for a long time but I've been thinking about switching brands. What's a hooker to do?

i would contact coats and clark' date='everytime i ever had a problem with thier yarn i e-mail or write them and they alwys i are quick to respond and make things right [/size']

[Elle]

I agree. I've seen this a lot, too. I don't like how rough it is, either. I dislike how stiff my finished projects are when I use that yarn, but feel bad about washing something that isn't really USED yet.

 

Another problem I've been having with Red Heart is that I'm finding a LOT of knots in it. I usually had come across a couple knots know and then, but now there are a LOT of them. And I'm not talking about tangled yarn. I'm talking about where one piece of yarn ends and they apparently tied another piece to that!

 

 

Oh, don't you just HATE that??? And when they tie it back together they leave NOTHING extra, so I have to cut out the knot and re-tie it myself. I've been making things from the Gourmet Crochet booklet this weekend, and I've been using a lot of different browns because the cakes are chocolate, and on two of the dark brown skeins there are pale spots here and there where it looks like the dye didn't sink in all the way. They're tiny spots, so they don't affect the look of the project because fortunately they're hidden within the twists of the stitches, but I know they're there and it BUGS me!

 

Elle

[pryor208]

I've noticed this lately, too. My grandmother makes crocheted afghans for people at her church who are seriously ill, and each takes 6 skeins. The last few months she's had problems matching the country rose color and one of the browns as well. I make baby blankets for the new moms at my church and have definitely noticed a bit more roughness in the yarn (when my fingers feel sanded after an hour's work lol), but I wasn't sure if it wasn't a bit imagined at first, as I'd been working with some softer novelty yarns for a few weeks without touching the red heart. I guess I need to send them a note asking about the problems. I was just hoping it was a bad dye lot on the color, though. *sigh* It's the best inexpensive yarn I've worked with ever...

[jollyrancher418]

The no dye lot also seems to be a problem with Caron SS. I cannot count the number of times the purples have turned out to be more pink than purple and the blues more purple than blue. I've also had a problem with their yarn turning from purple to white back to purple. Now that was frustrating.

 

As for Red Heart SS, I haven't had too much trouble except for the knotting and the globbing. I haven't had a problem with it not matching either; but I do bring a sample with me to the store and look through the entire bin until I find one I like.

[mikki]

I thought i would post that i have contacted them about my yarn issues also and they are sending me replacements. They said that they are allowed one tie in.In a skien however since i had several knot tie ins in mine that they would replace them both.(I had this problem with tlc essentials in choco cherry :/ hated the waste as i just looove the color. My other problem was with the new cherry red rhss. I've had to cut a good 7 9 inch or more spots out of it because it wasnt spun at all... I told the woman that i spoke to that i was truely dissappointed in the waste in yarn that this created. I always use Rh. SO if you have problems get your labels handy and give them a call. I'll post again if and when i get the yarn. I hope the rest are fine if not well atleast i get 4 skiens back out of this mess.

[Elle]

I thought i would post that i have contacted them about my yarn issues also and they are sending me replacements. They said that they are allowed one tie in.In a skien however since i had several knot tie ins in mine that they would replace them both.(I had this problem with tlc essentials in choco cherry :/ hated the waste as i just looove the color. My other problem was with the new cherry red rhss. I've had to cut a good 7 9 inch or more spots out of it because it wasnt spun at all... I told the woman that i spoke to that i was truely dissappointed in the waste in yarn that this created. I always use Rh. SO if you have problems get your labels handy and give them a call. I'll post again if and when i get the yarn. I hope the rest are fine if not well atleast i get 4 skiens back out of this mess.

 

Do they reimburse you for shipping them back the defective skeins?

 

Elle

[pineknott]

years ago,when the yarn first started getting really scratchy,I wrote them about,they sent replacements,they sent me a postage paid envelope to send the offending yarn back to them.I guess this was just prior to their soft yarn coming out.

my other beef is the yardage,seems darker shade the yardage doesn't match up,so why bother telling you how many yards it is if its not correct

Linda

[mikki]

Do they reimburse you for shipping them back the defective skeins?

 

Elle

They don't want them back as far as i know because she didn't meantion it. She just said she would send replacements and asked for my name and address.

[oliveoil]

I've been using RedHeart yarn for many, many years. This last Christmas I decided to make one of my granddaughters an afghan, the yarn I had in one of my stashes was RH. I started on the afghan. I ran out of the white so I went to our local Wal-Mart to get white yarn. I didn't see any white but I saw a lot of off white yarn, so I checked the labels. The off white yarn was labeled "White". There was also a little darker cream yarn that was also labeled "White", so my dh and I had to rummage through all 5 bins for the whitest looking yarn:angry that was a mess, thank goodness my granddaughter is only 4 years old I thought I was going nuts with my hands feeling so dry after crocheting for a bit, I'm thinking what is going on with my hands. I even had to buy a bottle of lotion and keep it at my side when I crochet. The yarn of late has been feeling rather on the rough side. One more gripe: I also made two of my grandsons afghans for Christmas. I used the RH Camouflage yarn(I just fell in love with the colors), while working on the first afghan I kept track of the rows I got per skein. Thank goodness I kept track:eek One skein of yarn I got 35 rows, then next two skeins I got 17 and 15 rows. I know I crochet loose, BUT:no not that loose. I thought maybe someone had returned the yarn and didn't mention it to the people at the desk that they had used some of the yarn or what. I really felt and still do feel like I had been ripped off:( I am enjoying all their new colors, but as for softness for afghans- Oh I feel better now that I was able to get that off of my chest:D Thank you;)